Dear Annette,I work with a person who has a very bad attitude. She is nasty to her boss and to some of the other people she works with. I do not appreciate the way she speaks to her coworkers. I work in a firm that is very professional and I feel you must be professional at all times. She hates to do anything! She is always playing games on the computer and is always talking on the phone. What should be done? Annoyed in DetroitDear Annoyed,During the entire 1980s, my stylist insisted that a stern pout, severe heels, and short, stiff hair would communicate that I was a woman in charge. Every ti... view article details

Dear Annette,I have lunch about once a week with colleagues. It's fun and I like them, but they order higher-priced food than I do and then assume we're splitting the bill. I end up paying for more than I eat. How can I keep going to lunch but get them to pay their fair share? Miss Otis regretsDear Miss Otis,Good food, pleasant company, and the knowledge that you'd otherwise be missing important office gossip are all excellent reasons to dine with colleagues. Whether you have a working meal or a social one, breaking bread together has the potential to nourish a common bond and solidify relatio... view article details

We've all been there.You're doing your job and covering for someone else. But instead of getting recognized for the extra effort, it seems all you ever get is guff. We've all had to do more than our fair share to pick up the slack for incompetent coworkers, but can you really ask for a raise because of it?Jack Chapman, Salary.com's resident salary expert, has your answer!QUESTION I am currently employed as a Registered Nurse at an outpatient Ophthalmology Surgery Center. For the past six years, I have also filled the position of Charge Nurse. However, I was told that I would only be in charge ... view article details

Yet keeping resolutions is important. Why? Keeping your resolutions will give you the confidence and motivation you need to set—and reach—new goals throughout the year. The ten tips below are designed to help you create and keep your resolutions.Tip #1: Limit the number of resolutions you make. Sure, there are a million things you would like to accomplish, and you are excited about every single one of them. But making a huge list of goals will ensure you won’t have the time - or energy - to reach them. Prioritize your list, and then pick one or two resolutions to follow thro... view article details

Talking about salary is always tricky. Bring it up too soon and you might screen yourself out of an interview. Put it off too late and you could be at a disadvantage towards the end of the process. And sometimes---as is the case with this week's guest---your hand is forced because your salary is a matter of public record. So what do you do if you're going for your dream job but your current job has paid you peanuts? Are you at a disadvantage because they don't take you as seriously? If so, how can you make sure you don't get lowballed? As always, our expert Jack Chapman has your answers!QUESTI... view article details

Dear Annette,Do I have to attend the company's annual softball picnic? I hate forced socializing almost as much as I hate softball. I am to the point where I am considering faking an injury just to avoid this thing!Bitter BatterDear Bitter Batter,Stay home from a company-sponsored athletic event? And miss the chance to watch your coworkers spit, sweat, scratch, and pat each other everywhere? I don't think so. I just love it when people work with their bodies. And there are few bad seats at a ballgame, although I have a secret fondness for the right-field line, where I get an excellent 360-degr... view article details

Have you ever felt uncomfortable about a question someone asked in a job interview? Frankly, some things are none of your prospective employer's business. Moreover, many types of questions are not only inappropriate, but even illegal.Federal and state laws like the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and others legally bar interviewers from asking questions about race, sex, sexual orientation, religion, age, national origin, marital status, or family matters. While questioners might throw in the odd zinger, questions should focus exc... view article details

You've heard of those brain teaser questions that may well come between you and a job someday. No matter how much you may prepare yourself for a job interview, you may never be completely ready when that interviewer asks you why manhole covers are round. Even that question has been asked so often by now, it's considered one of the easy ones. Microsoft is partly to blame.Ever since the Seattle-based software giant made news a few years ago for asking applicants questions like 'How many golfballs does it take to fill a 747?', more and more companies have been adding their own mindbenders to the ... view article details

Sustainable energy and green technologies have been placed at the forefront of America Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and the business world has taken notice.  To better facilitate modern professionals' connection with these emerging eco-friendly industries, MBA programs around the world have begun adopting curricula with a sharper focus on going green. The Aspen Institute Center for Business Education is reporting that the number of colleges requiring MBA students to take courses in ecological business and society issues has more than doubled in the past eight years, from 34 percent in 2001 ... view article details

The gender wage gap is an issue we at Salary.com have covered extensively over the years, because we believe in equal pay for equal work regardless of who you are. So when the topic arose during the nationally televised Miss USA beauty pageant in Las Vegas earlier this week, our ears perked up immediately.Miss Utah (whose real name is Marissa Powell) was asked 'A recent report shows that in 40 percent of American families with children, women are the primary earners, yet they continue to earn less than men. What does this say about society?' Then she started talking and -- well, see for yourse... view article details